The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-07
Report of the Committee Appointed to
Keep Watch on National Legislation.
Labor Bills Neglected. and Banks and Mon
eyed Corporations Favored - Fruitless
Appeals to Messrs Randall and Carlisle.

the House committee on labor. The letter
carriers eightho bill" says the report. twas
antagonized by Mr.. Springer in favor of a bill
known as the trade-dollar bll-a bill in the in
terest of spectators. The letter-carriers bill
would have put into the pockets of the letter
carriers in the shape of reduced hours of labor
so the Postoffce Department claimed, 81, 250 000
The passage of the trade-dolar bill actually put
into the pockets of Spectators Sd, 600 000 every
dollar of which was filched from the pockets of
the poor by the law which demonetized it. That
steal was seconded by systematic boycott on
the part OF the banking fraternity of the coun-
try, which now by the enactment of the present
law, received their reward, by getting one hun
dred cents on the dollar for what they only paid
so cents for
AS to the Oklohoma BILL the ommittee is of
opinion that if the measure had been allowed to
come to a vote it would have had q good major
ity In the House. The report gives account
of the many attempts made by Representative
Willis to get the Blair educational bill before the
House, and continues
''Mr. Willis introduced a resolution to relieve
the committee on education from further
slderation OF the bill by privileged question to
amend the rules of the House. but he was ruled
out of order by the Speaker pro tempore, Mr..
Springer, and in an undetermined manner, in the
opinion of the committee. Mr.. Willis withdrew
his motion, with the remark that he would
new it when the regular Speaker was in the
chair, which he did the 14th only be
tagonlzed by Mr.. Springer with points of order.
It is the opinion of the friends of the measure
that the committee on education was packed
against the bill by the Speaker"
The interstate-commerce law next receives the
attention of the committee and of it they say:
For the past ten years there has been intro
duced into Congress by Representative Reagan,
state commerce. and it became evident to the
railroad managers of the country that. from the
growing demands of the people, the time had
arrived when such measure had to be passed.
Realizing this fact, the railroad interest of the
country set about to circumvent the Reagan bill,
which was simple law that was easy of inter
provisions to protect the interest of
the people as against the growing and grasping
power of the giant corporations of the country.
They had introduced into the Senate bill known
as the Cullom bill, bill that contained twenty
two sections, and every one of them admitting
of a doubtful construction, so much SO that no
to interpret it-not even its godfather. Mr.. Gull
lom who, when asked to explain its provisions
on the floor of the Senate tacity admitted his
inability to do so. The committee, in &C.
ton of principles, supported the with
the least legal technicalities, viz. the Reagan
bill, and went SO far as to ask the President,
behalf of those whom they represented to veto
the bill which had been passed. The commit
tee, up to this date. has not seen any arguments
on the part of their critics that have caused
them in any way to recede from the position
that they assumed on these questions; but on the
contrary, the evidence is daily coming to the
front in doubtful Interpretation of the
law and its consequent failure to relieve
the people of the evils they have SO long
complained Of and expected by the law to be
relieved of. Every day strengthens the opinion
of this committee that the day is not far distant
when the praise of their constituents and the
people at large will be bestowed upon them for
the course they pureued in the matter and the
will bring them the reward to which they are
entitled-the acknowledgment that they acted
conscientiously and honestly in the course they
pursued"
The report comments severely upon the failure
of Congress to pass some of the important land
forfeiture bills and says that some very crooked
work was done by land attorneys and shyster-
ing lawyers in connection with the forfeiture of
some OF the grants and that, in many instances,
the settlers have been duped and de-
been posing as their friends, and in sew
eral instances have succeeded in getting
several thousand dollars in notes from the peo
pie located on the lands. The report says that
these attorneys are without influence in the way
of securing legislation, and hopes that this
statement may be the means of saving some Of
the settlers from being gulled in the future. In
speaking of the Sioux City 81 St. Paul railroad
land grant bill, the committee says: I'VE are
informed that former government official. by
the name of Judge Lawrence. who is a resident
of Ohio, has been engaged by the settlers of this
grant at fee OF 81 per acre, making a sum to-
tai of $50. 900 in the committee succeeded in
getting the bill through"
In conclusion the committee saws: "As early
the first of February we were informed that
in order to secure action on several of the meas
ures that the committee were interested in, and
which have been systematically bovcot.ed bv
the committee on rules of the House, must
secure the consent of that committee. The
special custodians of this sacred burial place
were John G. Carlisle, the Speaker of the
House, William r. Morrison and Samuel j.
Randall. on the part of the dominant party, and
Thomas 3. Reed and Frank Hiscock, acting for
the minority party of the House. The former
three are masters of ceremony when it comes to
a party question. When We found that every
one of the measures that we were interested in
was embalmed in this destined famous place of
interment we proceeded to interview the mem
bers of this committee with a view of resurrect-
ing some of the measures at least, from this
party catacomb. We sought. by written request
an interview with of the members, Mr.
Samuel j. Randall, at his house In this effort
we we're successful. but came away no
wiser, and We fear from our disposition after
the interview, no better men, Subsequently we
sought an interview with Mr. Carlisle, but met
with DO better success. There was no legisla-
ton enacted during the last five weeks of the
session but such had been subjected to the
closest scrutiny of the three members of the
committee on rules from the dominant party
termed by members of the House the steering
committee; and SO far as the members OF the
House were concerned, tsave keeping
their seats warm they might as well
have gone home four weeks before
adjournment, for they have had virtually moth
ing to say as to what kind of business should
come up before the body. The Speaker of the
House of Representatives. of the Republic was
absolute dictator of SO, 000, 009 people FAR
any legislation they desired was concerned dur
ing the last days of the present Congress, and
the rest OF the body might just as well have been
at home with their constituents. 1t is
the opinion of your committee that the
next General Assembly should select
not more than three great public measures.
and proceed to educate members and the
public at large on those questions-amoug them
a bill to have the government telegraph system
in connection with the the postofice; the other
to devise means for the government to use its
suplus revenues toward removing the present
interest bearing debt; the third. amendment
to the Constitution that the Senate be elected
by direct vote of the people"
The report is signed by Ralph Beaumont,
John J. Mccartney and James Campbell
Obituary.
HARTFORD, Conn, June 6.-Charles F. Cleve-